English for Communication Affecting Decision Making of Foreign Tourists: A Case Study of Cultural Tourism in Thailand
Abstract
Decision making has significant importance for tourists; therefore, this study is an attempt to highlight the factors effecting on decision making process of tourist. The objective of this study is to examine the role of English language communication in tourism decision making. This study examined the relationship between English language communication, collaboration with local people, cultural place assessment, cultural event assessment and decision making. Questionnaire was used for data collection after adapting measures from previous studies. Data were collected from the tourists in Thailand. As the focus of the current study is cultural tourism, therefore, only cultural tourists were selected as respondents. 700 questionnaires were distributed among tourists and 350 were returned. Results of the study shows that English language communication has positive role in tourist decision making. Better English language communication has positive role to enhance tourist decision making power. Moreover, English language communication has positive effect on collaboration with local people. Further, collaboration with local people shows positive role to promote cultural place assessment and cultural event assessment. Increase in cultural place assessment and cultural event assessment increases the tourist decision making.